Eyes of a Tragedy
by Sage of Hairspray
Summary: The dynasty didn't die with Talpa. The situation gets worse when Sage is selected as one of the new demon princes.


'Eyes of a Tragedy'

Part One: Eyes of a Fallen Angel

_Why couldn't he move his hands? Why was it so dark? The inky darkness was illuminated by insidious pain and a scream. Why was this so familiar? His pain. Fear flooded through him with the pain. No! Not again! A red mask, a cackle, oblivion loomed near, the tumult rose and fell—_

            Sage woke up, gasping for air, covered in sweat. He shook his head, then rested it in his hands. He had had nightmares ever since the end of the second war. Then again, being tied up and blasted by nether spirits for a few days would be enough to make anyone have nightmares. He walked downstairs, toying with the idea of making a cup of tea and getting a book. He did not feel much like going back to sleep and facing the nightmare again. As he walked down the steps, he heard voices. Sage tensed for a moment, then recognized them as Cye and Kento's. 

            "Hey Sage. Nightmare?"

            "Yeah."

            "We got a cup of tea ready for you. We heard you shouting in your sleep."

            "Thanks"

            They sat in silence, drinking the tea. "Why?!" said Kento suddenly. "Why do we keep having these things? It's been over a year!"

            "I think the fact that we were being zapped with demonic energy during the torture sessions might have something to do with it," Cye mused. "It was weird. I could feel the evil, the inhumanity in the energy. That might have caused it to have a longer effect on us."

            Sage blinked, but showed no other outward signs of confusion. Although Kento was nodding and voicing agreement, Sage hadn't a clue as to what Cye was talking about. It had hurt, excruciatingly so, but he hadn't felt some all-pervading evil. The only thing he had felt besides agony was, at the worst parts, a slight tugging, like someone had grabbed a hold of his rib cage and was pulling forward. He uttered a non-committal 'mhn' in reply to Kento's questioning glance, and that seemed to satisfy him. "How often have you been having nightmares?" Sage asked.

            "Oh, once or twice a week," said Cye.

            "Yeah, same with me," Kento said. "What about you, Sage?" 

            Sage looked slightly hesitant before answering. "Once a month or so."

            "Lucky skunk", grumbled Kento. 

~~*~~

_Grandfather, I have found my cousin._

_When will he be ready?_

_8 days._

_You know what to do._

_Yes Grandfather._

~~*~~

One week and a day later… 

            "Shh…Here he comes!"

            "Is everything set?"

            "Yes, yes! Quiet!"

            Sage opened the door, and peered around the room. For a moment, just before opening the door, he thought he had heard some scrambling noises. But nothing was amiss, or perhaps it was a tad darker than usual? _ Jeez, am I ever paranoid. I just went for a walk, what could have happened? _He took a step forward and suddenly—

            "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAGE!!!" As Dais pulled back his illusion, a couple of streamers shot through the air, and 'the gang' rushed forward and piled on top of him. After the resulting dog pile had been sorted out, Sage went over to Ryo. "You didn't have to do this, you know."

            "Stop being noble. You have to go and behave for your family when they throw their version of a party for you tonight. Just enjoy yourself. Besides, Cye made the cake." So the party went on. Dais and Kento were embarking upon a series of wrestling matches ("Are you giving up?" "I'm not giving up. Are **you **giving up?"), Kayura and Mia were chatting 'girl talk' ("How do you put up with them?"), and Cye, Rowen, Sehkmet and Ryo were playing hangman ("Strata, will you **please** keep the words under four syllables!"). Sage had abandoned his usual seriousness and was in a swordfight with Cale, using pool noodles. As Cale finished his dramatic 'death', the door banged open and a figure walked inside. The figure standing in the door way was tall and thin, but not scrawny. His features were cold, and bore a haughty expression.

            "My name is Fenral. Which one of you is Sage Date?"  Apparently he had asked the question only as a formality, and needed no cue, for before anyone could react, he had moved over to Sage, and clamped his hands on either side of the ronin's face. Sage stiffened, and then collapsed like a puppet with severed strings. 

He was in a room. He recognized it, it was his attic. Musty, filled with dust and dusty relics. One item caught his eye, far off in a corner, with items piled in front of it, as if someone had tried to obscure it, prevent it from ever being found. A bamboo screen. Weird. Who would want to hide this? 

Pushing past the obstructions, he looked closer. A figure was painted on it, an ancient warrior with a strong resemblance to his father.

'My father is from the U.S. How would his ancestor get on a Japanese screen?' 

Suddenly, the figure pulled him into the painting, its hand clear through his chest, and hurled him through the other side. He was falling, falling so fast the wind rushing past him hurt. Accelerating, he shut his eyes in fear of the end-

"Sage, wake up, please!"

"Whrr…" Lavender eyes flickered open, and Sage saw everyone clustered anxiously around the couch someone had dragged him onto. Rowen, who had been yelling in his ear, sighed with relief. "What happened? He grabbed me, and then I can't remember anything."

"You collapsed. Just fell down, dead to the world." said Cale.

"Yeah! And then that coward just vanished! Teleported right before I could pound him!" Kento finished his statement with a violent pantomime, punching the air. Cye rubbed his forehead, and sighed. 

"He shouldn't have been able to do that." Everyone turned to look at Kayura. "Teleportation is a very rare skill. It requires a tie to a huge pool of power to pull it off."

"Like …umph…" Sage propped himself up on one of the couch pillows, "you and the Dynasty?"

"Exactly. In fact, the Dynasty is the only source I know of that's large enough."

"Then you think he's connected to it? Why haven't we fought him earlier? And if you knew where he was headed, why didn't you go after him?" said Rowen

 "There are many factions and clans of demons in the Dynasty. He probably belongs to one of the lesser ones. And I do not know where he is headed, Strata. I only know that he has a connection to the Dynasty." Kayura glared at Rowen, and disappeared in a ball of light. The warlords shrugged, and teleported after her. Ryo smirked a little. Rowen and Kayura never really got along. 

"Hey, Sage", he asked. "Are you fee…" His voice trailed off and his eyes widened. It looked like Ryo was staring at something behind Sage. Sage turned around, but saw nothing. When he turned back, everyone else was staring at him. 

"What?"

"G-Go look in a mirror" Cye choked out. 

Sage got off of the couch, steadied himself for a moment, and walked out into the hall, where the nearest mirror was. 

Oh no… 

The signs of Fenral's treatment were not obvious, but they were there. His ears were becoming pointed. So were his teeth. And his nails. _Claws_, he guessed. That wasn't what had grabbed Ryo's attention.

… this isn't happening thisisntreal… 

His eyes.   

            They were purple – not the faded, stormy shade they showed sometimes, but a brilliant hue, like stained glass, intensifying with every passing second. A piece of folklore that he was painfully well acquainted with echoed in his mind.

            …_nononoI'mnotademonI'mnotI'mnotI'mnot…_

            Desperate for something constant, his hand slipped into his pocket and clutched his armor orb. He immediately tried to let go, but his hand was involuntarily clenched in pain as the orb reacted hostilely to his touch. Engulfed in flickering light and writhing on the floor, Sage could only manage a moan of pain, which nevertheless brought his companions and Mia running. The pain abruptly faded, leaving him gasping on the floor. He picked himself up, and looked at his reflection. Normal. He turned and met the concerned gazes of his friends. 

            "Are you okay?" asked Rowen.

            Sage's initial sense of relief evaporated. "No." The screen was still there. The demon was still inside him. 

            "What do you mean?" 

            Sage tried to form a reply, but instead, unable to contain his rising tide of panic, turned and ran out the front door, heedless of the cries of his friends. 

A/N: Okay. First chapter revised. I know it was rather…bad… the first time around. But it's better now, right? Puh-leeaze! Tell me what you thought! I will be soo happy if I get reviews! 

 -- the Amber Dragon


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